Daily Readings - Sun Apr 26 2020

¹⁴But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and he spoke to them: "Men of Judea, and all those who are staying in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and incline your ears to my words²²Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus the Nazarene is a man confirmed by God among you through the miracles and wonders and signs that God accomplished through him in your midst, just as you also know²³This man, under the definitive plan and foreknowledge of God, was delivered by the hands of the unjust, afflicted, and put to death²⁴And he whom God has raised up has broken the sorrows of Hell, for certainly it was impossible for him to be held by it²⁵For David said about him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always in my sight, for he is at my right hand, so that I may not be moved²⁶Because of this, my heart has rejoiced, and my tongue has exulted. Moreover, my flesh shall also rest in hope²⁷For you will not abandon my soul to Hell, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption²⁸You have made known to me the ways of life. You will completely fill me with happiness by your presence.

1 Peter

Chapter 1

¹⁷And if you invoke as Father him who, without showing favoritism to persons, judges according to each one’s work, then act in fear during the time of your sojourning here¹⁸For you know that it was not with corruptible gold or silver that you were redeemed away from your useless behavior in the traditions of your fathers¹⁹but it was with the precious blood of Christ, an immaculate and undefiled lamb²⁰foreknown, certainly, before the foundation of the world, and made manifest in these latter times for your sake²¹Through him, you have been faithful to God, who raised him up from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope would be in God

Luke

Chapter 24

¹³And behold, two of them went out, on the same day, to a town named Emmaus, which was the distance of sixty stadia from Jerusalem¹⁴And they spoke to one another about all of these things that had occurred¹⁵And it happened that, while they were speculating and questioning within themselves, Jesus himself, drawing near, traveled with them¹⁶But their eyes were restrained, so that they would not recognize him¹⁷And he said to them, "What are these words, which you are discussing with one another, as you walk and are sad?¹⁸And one of them, whose name was Cleopas, responded by saying to him, "Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?¹⁹And he said to them, "What things?" And they said, "About Jesus of Nazareth, who was a noble prophet, powerful in works and in words, before God and all the people²⁰And how our high priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death. And they crucified him²¹But we were hoping that he would be the Redeemer of Israel. And now, on top of all this, today is the third day since these things have happened²²Then, too, certain women from among us terrified us. For before daytime, they were at the tomb²³and, having not found his body, they returned, saying that they had even seen a vision of Angels, who said that he is alive²⁴And some of us went out to the tomb. And they found it just as the women had said. But truly, they did not find him.²⁵And he said to them: "How foolish and reluctant in heart you are, to believe everything that has been spoken by the Prophets²⁶Was not the Christ required to suffer these things, and so enter into his glory?²⁷And beginning from Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them, in all the Scriptures, the things that were about him²⁸And they drew near to the town where they were going. And he conducted himself so as to go on further²⁹But they were insistent with him, saying, "Remain with us, because it is toward evening and now daylight is declining." And so he entered with them³⁰And it happened that, while he was at table with them, he took bread, and he blessed and broke it, and he extended it to them³¹And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their eyes³²And they said to one another, "Was not our heart burning within us, while he was speaking on the way, and when he opened the Scriptures to us?³³And rising up at that same hour, they returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them³⁴saying: "In truth, the Lord has risen, and he has appeared to Simon.³⁵And they explained the things that were done on the way, and how they had recognized him at the breaking of the bread

Sermon

In today's readings, we journey through the profound narratives of faith and redemption. The first reading from Acts captures Peter's impassioned speech after Pentecost, where he proclaims Jesus' resurrection as part of God's divine plan, supported by David's Psalms. The second reading from 1 Peter reminds us of our redemption through Christ's blood, urging us to live with reverence and virtue. The Gospel from Luke vividly describes the encounter of two disciples with the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus, where their eyes are opened upon breaking bread, symbolizing recognition and renewal. These readings are intricately connected, each emphasizing the transformative power of Jesus' resurrection. Acts and Luke's Gospel highlight the proclamation and realization of Jesus' resurrection, while 1 Peter reflects on the implications of this redemption for our lives. Together, they invite us to recognize God's presence in our midst and to embrace the hope and transformation that faith brings. In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to seek God in every moment, even amidst uncertainty. Like the disciples, we may not immediately recognize God's presence, but through prayer and reflection, our eyes can be opened. The moral lesson here is one of trust and reverence: trusting in God's plan and living with the awareness of our redemption. Let us carry this hope and transformation into our lives, recognizing the divine in our journeys and being renewed by faith.